


We will never take a step back

by Walkyrie_Kane



Category: Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms, Tomb Raider (Video Games)
Genre: One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:54:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26664757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Walkyrie_Kane/pseuds/Walkyrie_Kane
Summary: One-Shot telling the story of Q'Orianka before she met Lara Croft.
Kudos: 2





	We will never take a step back

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you will like this one-shot! I put some Nahuatl in the story to make it more immersive (I know it's Aztec, but so are the shorn ones).  
> Once again, I apologize if there are any mistakes, English isn't my first language.  
> Enjoy!

**We will never take a step back**

They were there, proud, in their colourful armour, fighting the enemy with bravery and honour. The _cuachicqueh_ , all in yellow, were the spearhead of the army, men and women recognized by all. Q'Orianka looked at them from the upper town, safe with her family. Her heart, however, was with the warriors, beating at the pace of the fighting, her breathing as fast as the arrows of the archers.

The little girl she was stood on her feet to better see the battle. She felt her father hold her by the shoulders, telling her not to lean too much, but it didn't matter. Q’Orianka was hypnotized by the soldier’s movements, their cuirasses assembling a wonderful ballet of colours. She had never seen anything more beautiful. She imagined herself among them, dressed in the same armour, participating in their lethal dance.

The exclamation of triumph barely reached her ears as she went to join others in the celebration. Little did they know that the little girl dancing and singing among them had made a promise that day. She would become a _cuachicqueh_ , the greatest of all, and she would lead her people to glorious victories.

…

“Q'Orianka, will you go to the market?”

The girl turned around and went to her mother, who handed her some coins.

“Yes, nāntli.”

Q'Orianka went to the market in the centre of the village. Once out of her mother's sight, she rushed to the grand temple. She elbowed her way and slipped between the bystanders' legs. Hidden in the thick crowd, she reached in front of a collapsed wall that she climbed as fast as her small size allowed her.

Once on the other side, she congratulated herself on seeing this opening while she was at the temple with her parents. She let her hands find a grip on the stone and walked along the wall. Q'Orianka lowered her eyes and saw the rocks, about fifty of _maitl_ * below. She froze, tetanized, while her hands became sweaty.

"A warrior is not afraid of anything! " She says, raising her head quickly and setting a definite point on the horizon.

She resumed her ascension and climbed to the top of the wall. She passed her legs on either side and watched the scene below. Two eagle archers, the _cuāuhtli_ , relayed to archery. Q'Orianka observed them carefully, detailing each of their movements. Her parents refused to buy her a bow. So, she was just observing, certain that when the day came, she would be as good as the hunters.

When she didn't leave the market to watch exercises, she was walking around the city, listening for Rimak's drum. Moraekah's acolyte was always with her, wherever the wind would tell her to go. The merchant liked to joke that the drum would never be for sale, which made Q'Orianka smile. The girl loved talking to Moraekah. The old woman had not lost her sense of adventure and told her about her experiences in the outside world. When she was talking to Q'Orianka, her eyes sparkled, and her wide smile made the traces of time disappear. She was once again the brave hunter, bold enough to confront the outside world.

Q’Orianka had entrusted her dream of becoming a _cuachicqueh_ to the old woman, on a long day of storytelling. The merchant took her hand and nodded, a smile of approval on her face. She always seemed to know the place of others in this world.

…

Q’Orianka ran in the thick jungle. The lianas were beating her legs, but the young woman was not going to stop, not before she captured her prey.

For several months, she had been practising intensive training. The future warrior had to push her limits to hope that she would have a chance to pass the tests of the _cuachicqueh_. Anyone could try their luck, and the competition was tough. Many practised from the first glow of dawn until nightfall. Q'Orianka refused to see her childhood dream stolen by another.

She impatiently pushed her long hair back from her face. Despite the difficulties, Q’Orianka could not bring herself to cut it. Her hair was the symbol of her life as a young woman, which she would set aside once she became a warrior. The shaved skull and the lone braid of the _cuachicqueh_ would be her trophy.

The young woman stopped and listened. She had been tracking a jaguar for the first time, which she had been following from the edge of the jungle. She notched an arrow at her bow and carefully walked toward a small clearing. Q’Orianka stood in the centre and closed her eyes. She let her mind visualise her environment and focused on the sounds. The feline's hushed steps reached her ears and she aimed. For a moment, the only sounds of the jungle were the bow rope and the jaguar’s death rattle.

Q'Orianka approached the animal. She knelt next to him and put her hand on its side. After a moment of silence, she stripped it of its skin and left for Païtiti. The young woman should still prove herself, but she was proud to bring back her loot.

…

The crowning was great. All Païtiti had gathered in the high city, and songs were heard on both sides of the crowd. Jubilation and joy filled the atmosphere, the inhabitants celebrating a new era, promised as a golden age.

A new page had also turned for Q'Orianka. Her qualities as a warrior had been noticed by the Païtitian elites. She was now an _ocēlōtl_ , a jaguar guard, one of the highest positions of the army.

Back to the stage where the new king, Sayri, made his speech, she had listened carefully to his words. They resounded in her mind. When he spoke of the greatness of her people, she saw herself rising the ranks with the sweat of her forehead, wearing every uniform with honour. Feeling a glance at her, Q’Orianka turned slightly and saw the new queen, Unuratu, staring at her. The warrior looked away, returning to her duty of surveillance. She could still feel the queen’s piercing gaze at her, who judged her, worse, evaluated her. Q'Orianka kept her eyes on the crowd, still alerts. When the royal couple left, the young woman had a strange feeling. Good or bad, she couldn't tell.

…

Q'Orianka couldn't believe it. A few weeks after the coronation, she had been given permission to take the twenty deeds. She suspected Unuratu’s influence but said nothing. She knew she would have gotten it, but the queen did not feel the need to wait. There were rumours that the king and queen had selected candidates from among Païtiti's best fighters to participate in the trials.

Twenty deeds. If Q'Orianka had prepared her whole life for a warrior existence, she knew nothing about this ordeal. Her only comfort was that all her competitors were in the same situation.

The twenty deeds were chosen by the monarchs themselves, putting forward values that would be desirable for a warrior. The young woman was expecting hunting, fighting, infiltration, tactics, but nothing could have prepared her for what she was going to face.

…

Sayri, their king, stood in front of about thirty competitors for the title. Q'Orianka stood apart. She needed all her concentration; all her life was going to be played out right now.

“My loyal and brave brothers and sisters,” he began. “You have chosen to sacrifice everything for your people, your home, and I am grateful for that. But only a few of you will be able to have the honour - and do me the honour - of becoming a _cuachicqueh_. To do this, you will have to perform a series of twenty deeds. Anyone who is unable to do so within three nights and three days will be dismissed.”

The king stayed silent. Q'Orianka could feel the tension rising. Even the most confident in the group were beginning to doubt. The king's grave tone had reassured no one.

“Being a cuachicqueh means you will never take a step back on the battlefield. Never, even when the gods are against you. Even when you're alone and everyone seems dead. You need a spirit, a brave soul, and above all, reason. That’s why I decided to let you choose your twenty deeds”

Whispers escaped from both sides of the group. Q'Orianka didn't believe her ears. Did the gods play their king a trick?

Sayri raised his hands to ask for silence.

“Each of you will come to present to me your twenty actions, within three days and three nights. You will have to explain to me why you think they are worthy of a cuachicqueh. I'll let you get ready.”

The king left immediately, leaving behind a distraught assembly.

…

The young woman put her knee on the ground in front of her king. She raised her head and waited.

“Q'Orianka, daughter of Tochco, what are your twenty actions?” he asked.

She laid down her full quiver and her intact weapons in front of her.

“I thought being a great _cuachicqueh_ was being a ruthless hunter, a merciless warrior. But these are just the naive interpretations of a child. I am no longer that little girl who saw war as an opportunity to shine. I'm not that young woman who spent hours stalking an animal to bring back useless loot. I learned; I grew up. Being a _cuachicqueh_ is not spreading blood. It is the opposite. It is learning from others and teaching to others. We serve those we love and those we don't know. It is to behave with honour. I refuse to turn my actions into a bloodbath just to have the chance to wear a _tlahuitzli_. I choose to be humble and to dedicate myself to Païtiti.”

Without leaving the young king’s gaze, Q'Orianka listed her twenty deeds. Sayri's face remained neutral. When she finished, she lowered her head, hoping that her interpretation would suit the king. She heard him stand up and whisper to one of his followers, but she couldn't understand what he told him. Someone approached her and put a hand on her head. Q'Orianka closed her eyes, fear growing in her.

Feeling nothing, she reopened her eyes. A strand of brown hair fell on the floor. Another one followed. Her dream was coming true. She felt the blade on her skull. She did it. Her head leaned forward, and another strand reached the floor. Someone’s hands made a braid above her left ear. She felt the last cut. The young woman had achieved her goal. She stood up and bowed to Sayri. A _cuachicqueh_ was born.

…

The new warrior lived through the happiest years of her life. Every day, she would wear her yellow _tlahuitzli_ and go around, and yet everything seemed so different. She still couldn't believe that she had succeeded. Q'Orianka would wake up tirelessly before the sun and watch it rise. Seeing the bright red sky reminded her that the world was still alive, and her existence was not the result of any divine manipulation.

One morning, however, she wasn't the only one who looked for the sun. Yaretzi, one of her sisters of arms, was waiting for the sun to rise. Q'Orianka sat beside her.

“I hope I didn't disturb your ritual,” began Yaretzi. “I noticed you were coming here, and I wanted to see what was so interesting.” She turned her head towards Q'Orianka. “How do you not get tired of it?”

The warrior gestured toward the first light.

“These rays remind me that I don't live in an illusion. The gods allow me to enjoy it once again”

“Not everything will disappear in a day,” Yaretzi said. “And if that happens, we'll be there to make sure that the sun rises. You and I, like sisters”

Q'Orianka smiles at this idea. The young woman beside her was always ready to fight. Having her as a friend warmed her heart.

...

Q'Orianka stared at the shield in her hands. It had belonged to Yaretzi, one of her sisters of arms. The recent events were still unclear in her mind.

Three days earlier, she had attended the funeral of their king, Sayri. Q’Orianka had received the news with great sadness. She had served him with dignity, she would have wanted to go hunting in his place. It should have been her duty, their duty, the same people who said they were the bravest of all. Now, their ruler was gone, and an empty throne was standing in his place. His wife, Unuratu, was crowned as expected by the estate. Q'Orianka could still see her getting up, refusing to be a queen puppet. Unuratu had the strength to fight for her people, even though she had not yet had time to mourn her husband.

Q’Orianka thought that the next few days would be difficult, but she hadn’t seen the rest coming. Unuratu’s surprise rebellion had shaken Kukulkan’s cult, deeply rooted in Païtiti. She was among the other _cuachicqueh_ when screaming at the entrance of the upper city was heard. She and the others ran as fast as possible, but they arrived too late. In front of them stood Amaru, Sayri’s brother, the head of the cult leader in his left hand, a bloodstained knife in the other. He addressed the crowd, galvanised:

« Death to the foreigners! Death to the foreigners! he kept saying, with the crowd cheering in great screams.

The _cuachicqueh_ were looking at each other, disarmed by Amaru's coup. They had to protect the cultists and their leader was now beheaded in the public square. Before they had time to react, the cult fell into Amaru's hands.

Q’Orianka never had time to get used to such a change. In the middle of the night, the jaguar and eagle guards burst into the barracks of the _cuachicqueh_ , heavily armed.

“Surrender, order of the new leader of the cult. Obey and you will be spared,” said the nearest eagle guard.

“Never,” shouted Tezozomoc, the oldest of them. “We have made an oath, and we will honour it!”

He rushed to the guard, killing him on the spot before being stopped by several arrows. The fight was intense, the narrow rooms offer little mobility to the eagle archers. The _cuachicqueh_ fought like a single man.

While Q’Orianka was giving the final blow to the last guard, a groan of pain made her turn. On the ground, Tezozomoc lay in its own blood. She rushed to his side, trying to contain the blood as much as she could. Her brother of arms took her hands.

“My sister,” he says between breaths. “We're just one now. Do you understand? You must survive. For us. For our legacy”

“I refuse to surrender!”

“If you stay here, you will have no other choice. But if you give allegiance to someone else, to a true leader, you will not have to break your oath. You hear me, Q'Orianka?”

“I promise. Justice will be done.”

Tezozomoc let a last breath escape. Q’Orianka took a few moments and then prepared to leave. Sha walked with no purpose in the lower town until she realises that her feet had taken her to the house of Unuratu. _A real leader._

Q’Orianka felt guilty of not being able to oppose the cult early enough. Devoured by her ambition, she ended up joining them. Now she would fight them. The battlefield would be Païtiti, and the rebellion her brothers and sisters of arms. The warrior headed inside the house of Unuratu, true to her oath.

…

The world collapsed around Q’Orianka once again. The cult was about to remake the world, and the sun would never come up again. While the rebellion was faltering, Unuratu reported intriguing news. She told Q’Orianka that a stranger was there, and she would fight Amaru alongside them. _I feel like we can trust her_ , the queen told her. _She's got a warrior soul. I have a good feeling._

Q’Orianka had not yet met the stranger, but she was already impressed by her actions. Uchu had informed her that Lara - that was her name - had gone through challenging trials, alone.

When she met her, Q’Orianka saw in her eyes the same fire as in Yaretzi’s. Her words resonated in her mind. _We'll be there to make sure that the sun rises. You and i, like sisters._ Yaretzi was right. Q’Orianka will fight with a sister to avenge another.

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write something about Q'Orianka, even if it was hard to find a lot of pieces of information about her.  
> Don't forget to review, I would like to know what you thought about it!


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